Category: dream job

There is a “lightbulb” moment for every recruiter when their hiring leaders truly partner with them. It doesn’t happen often enough (unfortunately), but it does happen. And, when it does, we want those leaders to know that we are grateful for your collaboration with our efforts. Together, we can accomplish so much!

I am proud to be a part of a company where every one of my hiring leaders puts hiring as a priority, and sees recruiting as an extension of their own business units. Recruiting is more than just filling seats. It’s finding the best person, with the best skill set, and the best attitude for that seat. It’s finding what works, not only, for the candidate but for the hiring leader. It’s finding that beautiful match.

That being said, to all you hiring leaders who partner with your recruiting team…

There comes a time when everyone thinks, “I thought I interviewed well. What happened? Why didn’t I get through to the next round?” I think it’s human nature to always be asking “why”. Let’s split this into a few scenarios:

You submitted your resume, but never heard back. Why?

Before I make the decision to email/call you back, I look at your Facebook page, your Twitter profile, your blog posts, your Google+ page. I Google you. I have seen the rants about your job, how much you hate your boss, how you can’t wait for the day to be over. I have seen the, sometimes, “unclassy” pictures of your drunken stupor from last weekend. Would you hire you after seeing these things?

Your grammar. Did you pass 2nd grade? If so, I expect you to know the difference between “their”, “there”, and “they’re”. Not only is this a poor reflection on you, but I risk my reputation as a recruiter as well.

Your resume is hard to read. Why is it not in chronological order? How long did you work at XYZ Corp? When did you leave XYZ Corp? Why is the font so small???

Your resume is lackluster. I can tell when you just copy a job description into your resume. That’s great. But tell me what YOU did in that role.

Your resume lacks information I want/need to see. You’re in sales, and you don’t tell me how AWESOME you are at closing deals? Why not? Are you not proud of your accomplishments? Things that make me go “hmm” will quickly put you in the reject pile.

I had a phone interview with the recruiter, but never heard back. Why?

You didn’t do your research. Tsk tsk. Always – ALWAYS – do a little reading on the company you’re interviewing with beforehand. Know what their offerings are, know who their target clients are, know what questions you want to ask. What else can you research? The recruiter. Find out where they went to school, their career history… use it to your advantage. Build rapport with them off of any commonalities you might have.

You talk too much. Long-winded answers rarely get you anywhere. Why aren’t you listening to questions I’m asking? Why aren’t you answering my question directly? What are you dancing around? Nerves are hard to overcome in interviews, I get it. But you have to listen for cues. What is the recruiter asking of you? What kind of information does the recruiter need to evaluation your background?

Your answers sound rehearsed and redundant. Are you telling me the same thing using different words? Have you said these sentences/phrases over and over in front of a mirror, and in every interview? We can hear these nuances.

You don’t follow directions. I found you on LinkedIn, I already have access to your profile. When I ask for a resume, please send it to me. Don’t direct me back to your LinkedIn page. Not following an “ask” is a tell-tale sign of how much you want something.

You interview poorly. I have said it a million times, “interviews are just conversations”. We are here to learn about each other. I talk to some candidates where I feel like I’m trying to pull teeth. Brag about yourself! Be confident in your abilities. Ask questions right back at the recruiter. Just as we’re interviewing you, interview us!

I had an interview with the hiring manager, but never heard back. Why?

Lack of detail. By the time you’ve gotten to the hiring manager, they are looking for details on why you’d be great at a job. If you can’t back up statements like “I’m a successful sales rep” with things like “I achieved 200% of my quota YOY by continuously prospecting my territory, fearlessly hunting and cold calling, and continuously analyzing my plan of attack”, the hiring manager isn’t going to be able to assess how well you’d do here.

You didn’t send a “thank you”. Call it what you will. Some hiring managers don’t care. Some do. Some make it a “mandatory”, while others are just a “nice to have”. But, why not increase your chances by taking 2 minutes out of your day to email them? Show them you want it!

Job searches are hard. Some would say, interviews are harder. They’re stressful, they put you in a position of vulnerability. Approach your job search like you would any other tough situation in life — head on!

I have gotten this interview question a few times in my career, and every time I thought to myself, “Well, that’s negative, isn’t it?” But, as you take a step back and think about why the interviewer is asking it, you begin to realize exactly what they are trying to figure out.

If you ask me what my biggest career move, this is how I’d answer:

Out of college, I entered the world of sales. I was good at it and made a lot of money. I made a natural progression into Recruiting. But, there came a point where I wanted to see what else I could do. So, I left sales/recruiting and was hired as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of a biotech company. It was a role completely foreign to me, but one that I wanted to explore. I wanted to see what else I was capable of.

Within a few months, I knew that I had made a huge mistake. I was miserable, and immediately started my job search. It had absolutely nothing to do with the company or the people I worked with. It was me.

I quickly learned that I was a proactive employee. I like being responsible for my day. I like knowing that I will “fail” if I don’t continue to put in work. I like knowing that the work I put in today, pays off tomorrow. I learned that some people are reactive employees, and like being given projects to be done on a deadline. I was not that person.

Being proactive is like a game to me. I’m competitive by nature and can’t just stand by and watch things happen. And, that’s how I landed back in Recruiting. My work is measurable and defines my success.

So, my “mistake”? Going outside of my comfort zone.

The real question behind the real question?… What lessons have you learned along the way?

Let’s face it, the answer is a resounding “YES” to all of the above. Don’t be shy. We have all been there. Even the best of us have struggled in our job searches. And that’s ok! So many times, I get asked “What did I do wrong?”

I can sum it up into one word: PRESENTATION. This applies to anything and everything involved in an interview process.

Imagine the following scenario. You email a recruiter, “Hi there, I’m intrested in the sales postion your posted on LinkedIn. Selling SaaS software is my life, and I can’t wait to here from you!” What’s wrong with this? You want me to believe you’re great at what you do if you can’t use spell check? Your crazy. (See what I did there? :))

Let’s try another scenario. You sent your resume into the “resume black hole”. Why didn’t you get a call back? I can go on and on and on about reasons why you didn’t. But, let me list the most common. 1) You weren’t a fit for the role. Did you read the job description? Do you have the required hard skills? 2) Your resume says another company’s name in the Objective. “I want to help build NOT-YOUR-COMPANY’S brand to it’s potential.” Great, good luck with that! 3) No contact information. Surprised? Don’t be. A lot of times, candidates do not provide a good phone number or email address for us to reach them. If we can’t reach you, how can you be considered for the role?

Ok, one more. You got the call back! Congrats! You interviewed with the team, thought it went well, and… nothing. I will say that it is NEVER ok for a recruiter/company to not provide you with an update to your candidacy. But what could have possibly gone wrong? You thought you had it in the bag! Again, PRESENTATION. Did you research the company? Were you an off-the-wall bundle of energy interviewing at an old-school, play-by-the-rules corporation? Did you wear jeans and a t-shirt to a super formal workplace? Perhaps your thoughts were all over the place, or maybe you were a nervous wreck.

The moral of the story is: presentation. Be diligent with you who present to your potential future employer. How do you want them to see you? What kind of person do you want them to view you as? What is it they will gain by hiring you?

Friends, we have all been there. The wonderful world of dating! Whether you are still courting your neighbor, flirting with every cute girl that walks into your office space, spending your time with your one-and-only (for now), or fully committed to Prince Charming… we have all “been there”. The trials and tribulations of dating teaches us so many things in life.

… Like how to job search!

What?! Seriously, Lianne? Yes! Let me explain.

PART 1: Finding the “one”

Setting standards. As in dating, we need to know what we want. If you have no direction, how will you ever find Mr. Right? Take your standards and apply them to your job search. What are you looking for? What excites you? What is an absolute deal-breaker? What are you willing to compromise on? Do you have your heart set on anything?

First impressions matter. Ask anyone about what they first noticed about their partner? For fun, I asked my sister’s boyfriend and he responded, “How put together she was compared to everyone else”. Couldn’t have said it better. What is going to set you apart from everyone else? How will the employer remember you, and not the guy who interviewed before you?

Desperation stinks. Who wants a stage-five clinger? Don’t be that person. Employers want to know they are hiring someone with options, not someone who will take the first thing thrown at them. They want to know they are investing in YOU and what you bring to the table.

Be yourself. You want your date to like you for who you are… not who you pretend to be. In the same regard, employers want to hire YOU! Not who you are pretending to be. Facades only get you so far.

Two way street. Dating is a two way street. Do you like me as much as I like you? No? Then it probably will not work out in the long run. A job hunt is the same way. While it may work in the short-term, the company has to be just as much a fit for you, as you are for them.

No big egos. Big egos are a turn-off in almost any situation. Need I say more?

PART 2: Stages

Courting. Flirting with disaster? Luring the forbidden? Whatever you call it, you need to find a way to make them notice you! How will you do that? Wearing a big sparkly hat at the restaurant? Maybe. In a job search situation, being an industry expert certainly sets you apart.

Dating. This is essential. It is where people learn about each other, where they learn whether or not they like what is under the makeup, where they determine if you fit their “standards” (see Part 1, #1). Dating is like interviewing. It’s a time for both parties to ask questions, to probe and to prodder about things that they want to know about, to find out what they love and hate about you.

The Close. After a few weeks, you know you’re 100% into her. You want to spend all your time with her, and no one else. You know you’ve found the match! Now what? Close to deal. Make her your “better half”. Just as in dating, when you find that company that is a mutual fit, find a way to seal the deal. Sell them on your ability to transform their organization.

What do you think now? Dating and job searching are pretty similar, huh? That’s what I thought.

I receive emails from former colleagues on a weekly basis, without fail. “Can you help me with my resume? Can you help me with my job search? How do I go about this interview?” I would LOVE to help you. Honestly, I would. The whole reason I got into recruiting was because I love helping people.

But, unfortunately, I can’t do it FOR you. If you need help with your resume, have a barebones/skeletal one that we can work off of. I can help you make improvements, can offer suggestions, and offer insight from a recruiter’s point of view. If you want me to help you with your job search, tell me what you’re looking for… show me you’ve done some work researching the company, position, and qualifications. Want help with the interview? Great! What exactly do you want to work on?

Too many times, I feel people want me to DO their work FOR them. I can’t do that for you, friends. I don’t know your deepest, darkest desires. I don’t know what makes you excited, nor what makes you tick. I don’t know where you want to be 10 years from now, let alone where you want to be tomorrow.

So, before you go out and ask your recruiter friends for help, do yourself (and them) a favor and do your homework first.

I recently made a decision to pursue a new opportunity. I want to share my story to, perhaps, inspire you to challenge yourself to take chances and to never stop taking chances.

As a recruiter, I always tell candidates that I headhunt, “It’s just conversation until an offer is in your hands. It’s always good to see what’s out there.” When the time came when someone headhunted ME, I was not a hypocrite. I took the call, and I listened. I answered genuinely. I am honest when I say that I actually got very nervous because I had the chance to interview with many of the C-level execs with whom I’d be working very closely with – something that has yet to happen to me in my career.

Don’t get me wrong. I was not looking for a new position. I loved the company I was working for. I loved my team, and my manager. In fact, I had never worked for a better company, team, or manager EVER in my career.

Why did I take the call?

Because I don’t like the feeling of regret. How would I know this new company wasn’t the perfect chance for me to showcase my skills? The simple answer is: I wouldn’t. Not unless I took the time to learn about it.

Just as much as they were interviewing me for the role, I was interviewing them for a personal fit. I’m a firm believer that culture drives a company. I have been in situations where I “dulled” my personality to fit the culture of the company I was interviewing at, for those interviewers who would never get my humor or my personality. The outcome of that was dismal. I did not enjoy my time there, and that was no one’s fault but my own. It wasn’t a fit for me.

So, in this interview process, I was myself. I asked about things that were important to me. I joked around with them to see how well I’d be able to work with them. How much were they engaging with me, and me with them? In the end, I realized it was a good fit all around – job duties, growth, culture, opportunity.

This new venture will be a different one for me. This new company is a start-up. I will be one of two recruiters during this company’s hypergrowth mode. I will be staffing this amazing start-up with some of the best talent out there. Where before I was following policies and procedures already set in place before me, I now will be helping to develop these policies and procedures for those following me. It’s exciting, nerve wrecking, and motivating all at the same time.

My challenge for you is to never close any doors because you never know when opportunity will come knocking (cliche much?). Any decision you make today will help develop you for tomorrow.

Things to take away:

Network. Always. And never stop.

Answer recruiters’ emails, every time, even if it is just to tell them you are not interested.

Be yourself. I find that so many people try to be someone else come interview time. I get why you do that. But don’t. You are who you are, and many companies will hire for culture fit. And if it isn’t the right culture for YOU, in the long run, you probably won’t be happy.

Take chances. Put yourself out there, and do not fear being rejected. Each “no” is one step closer to the “yes”.

Be honest. With yourself and with anyone you talk to. Talk about your dreams and your desires, your strengths and your weaknesses. Don’t ever be afraid to confront your weaknesses to make them your strengths.